How About a Trip to Florida

Kim Harker, of Idaho Falls, was selected as Idaho's 2001 Young Mother Representative by American Mothers, Inc. She has five children under age seven, including a set of twins. As you can imagine, her life is never boring. She wrote about a recent day, patterning her thoughts after Judith Viorst's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Here's what she said:

This morning, I stubbed my toe on a Lego, smelled throwup in the twins' room and discovered toothpaste on my bath towel. I could tell it was going to be a difficult, frazzling, too bad, very long day.

At breakfast, Nathan yelled because his favorite cereal was gone, Natalie refused to eat, and Jacob demanded chips. I think I'll move to Florida.

I had to wash Megan's blanket because of the throwup. Megan needs her blanket. She screamed while it was in the washer and then while it was in the dryer. I could tell it was going to be a difficult, frazzling, too bad, very long day.

Natalie let Jacob cut her hair again.

"You have no bangs!"

"Who needs bangs?" she replies.

Class pictures are on Tuesday. I will send my scissors to Florida.

After school, Nathan and Natalie wanted to play.

"You need to do chores." I said.

"We hate doing chores!"

"You know the rules."

"We'll do double tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow," I said, "I'm going to Florida."

One of the twins poured onion salt into the sugar bowl.

"Who did it?" I asked.

"Not me!" both responded.

I am having a difficult, frazzling, too bad, very long day.

When we were at the video store, Jacob knocked movies off the shelves. Nathan asked, "Can I have a new release?"

"Did you bring $3?"

"No!"

"Then I guess not."

Nathan made a scene. We won't be getting movies for a long time.

The twins keep getting out of bed. There's a fight over who gets the bottom bunk. Dad says he's going out of town for a week on business. It has been a difficult, frazzling, too bad, very long day. Dad says some days are like that, even in Florida.